South Central Kansas Transportation Coalition

A strong transportation infrastructure is critical to developing and expanding commerce. The Wichita Chamber, in conjunction with the Regional Economic Area Partnership and the Greater Wichita Partnership, has convened key private sector business members of the Chamber and local governments in the region to form the South Central Kansas (SCK) Transportation Coalition. The Coalition champions transportation projects that have a positive impact on communities and businesses in our region.

Advocacy

The SCK Transportation Coalition advocates for funding and policies to address regionally significant transportation infrastructure needs. This effort brings industry and government together to educate the Kansas Legislature, Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), the Kansas Congressional Delegation, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the business community and members of the public about transportation issues that impact the region’s growth.

In recent years, the Coalition has successfully advocated for a new comprehensive transportation plan, a 10-year rolling program called the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE). The Coalition supported the $21M BUILD Grant awarded by USDOT for the North Junction Interchange (the convergence of I-135, I-235, K-254 and K-96 in North Wichita), which will be matched by more than $60M in state and local funding to complete the gold phase of the project. The Coalition has also actively promoted SCK priority projects to be developed and constructed by KDOT.

Next Steps

In 2025, the Coalition will continue to prioritize regionally significant infrastructure projects for the Wichita region and champion these projects with key decisionmakers. As traditional sources of transportation funding decline or are transferred to fund other priorities, the Coalition will encourage elected officials to ensure transportation funding streams are used for the transportation program. We will continue to raise our voice for equitable taxing and distribution of funding to address critical needs in South Central Kansas and transportation policies that grow the Wichita regional economy.